Journal bearing



Feb. 6, 1945. a PEARCE JOURNAL BEARING Filed Jun o 2. 1942 I Ila lit ' .Figure 2-is a face view Patented Feb. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE a Z ZZZZZ (31.111 3 This invention relates to journal bearings and I particularly .to crown journal bearings for use in the axle boxes'of railway vehicles.

The objects'of the invention include the following: To provide a structure by means-of which it is possible; to greatly reduce the quan-' tities of strategic metals such as copper, lead, tin and antimony which have heretofore gone into the manufacture of bearings of the type in question;'to improve the strength of the bearing as well as its resistance to,the destructive effects of heat; to provide a structure which combines the best characteristicsof ferrous as well as of non-' ferrous metals; to provide a bearing which has an increased margin of operating safety; to provide a bearing which may be relatively cheaply manufactured, easily replaced or renewed as well as one which is interchangeable with preyailing structures; to provide a bearing havingi 'liiacking member of relatively hard metal such as steel and a Babbitt metal lining therefor, together with a supplemental bearing urface of relatively soft metal at each side of the crest, which supplemental surfaces are normally opt of contact with the journal but are adapted to make contact therewith to support the load in event of failure of the Babbitt metal lining so as to avoid damage to the journal which might be caused by contact between the steel or hard metal backing member and the surface of the journal; to provide oil storage'means in the journal at .each side of the crest which are filled with lubricant by oil which is carried upwardly on the surface of the journal from the oil soaked waste customarily used in the bottom of the journal box;

journal projects into the journal box in a manner well'understood in this art.

The bearing comprises a structural backing or strength member Ill,- preferably of steel, a pair of relatively soft bearing. metal inserts Ila preferably of bronze, and a Babbitt metal lining I211. The; insert are elongated members which fit snugly into correspondingly elongated slots l3 in and, in generaLto materially improve the operational characteristics of railway axle crown journal bearings while at the same time cheapening their cost, increasing their strength, sim plifying their maintenance and reducing the quantities of strategic bearingmetals normally employed in their manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will occur to I those skilled in this art as the description prothe accomprovenients taken as indicated by the line |-I in Figure 2; and

improved bearing.

of the underside of my By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that inFlg'ure 1 I have illustrated the upper portion of theusualjournaliontheendofacaraxlawhlch the journal face of the backing member III. The slots and the inserts are of substantial dimension circumferentially of the journal, and they extend, preferably, throughout substantially the entire length of the bearing, as indicated in Figure 2.

It will also be noted that there is a slot l3 with its insert I I at each side of the bearing, and that they are located well beyond the crest or region of high bearing pressure. In this way the are not subject to the stresses set up near the crest of the bearing.

The inserts project slightly beyond the journal face of the backing member, a clearly shown in Figure 1, and the Babbitt metal lining I2 is applied over the journal face of the backing member only so that-the Babbitt metal under normal conditions projects beyond the journal faces of "theinserts. In this way the supplemental bearing surfaces provided by the inserts are normally held out of contact with the journal.

However,in the. event of failure of the Babbitt metal lining the inserts Ha will come into contact with the journal 6 and prevent con- "tact between the backing member I0 and the journal so a to avoid damage to the latter.

Failure of the Babbitt lining may come about 'eitherby normal wear or as the result of high, temperature .due to a hot box, which of course will melt the lining as is well understood in the art. r

The inserts I in are shown as being formed with longitudinal channels or grooves in their upper faces which form oil storage wells or pockets M which extend longitudinally of the bearing and are substantially coextenslve with the length of the insert and its slot. Extending downwardly from the base of' the slots I 4 toward the surface of the journal are; a plurality of oil connecting aperture or passages l 5 which open into a space 16 formed between each insert Ila and the surface of the journal 6. fI'he spaces l6 are created by virtue of the fact that the Babbitt metal lining, l2a does not extend over the journal face 1 of-the inserts'lla.

When the journal is rotatlng, oil is carried on the upbound'side thereof to the space I6 from whence it passesv through the openings I! .reservoir, as it were.{ A-supply of 011.115 thi isjalways available the moment 'that'fglthe journal begins toturn so that initial adequate Jubrication for'the vjournal-is never dependent upon bringing up the oil from the waste in the bottom of the box. As is-well known in this-art, esp cially in vcoldweath'er, there is sometimes a lag in the efiective'lnbricationioi the bearing which employment of the so-called bearing =v,WhatI claim is:

1. A crownjoumal bearing sa backing 5 member of relatively hard metal, a longitudinal sldt in 'the journa1 facea't each side of the crest of said baqking member, a bearing metabinsert fitting each slot and projecting therefrom somea what .beyond-;-the .joumal face, .a, Babbitt metal may: result in a hot box, and this is avoided. by vli in o n the jo l f c d the ck i m theim'biovement just described.

It wi11-be seeh that my invention makes it pos-, sible'tosubstantially reduce the amount of bearing metalor bearing metal alloy which has herecrown. journal bearings. As a "general'ruIeQ in previous practice the entire.-bearin'g made ofa "solid piece ofv bronzewithv a lining-.011. Babbitt metal,- but with my invention the back wmch' linin projects; b yond; the plane lot the journal" faces of said inserts, an'o'il storage well in an insert; and an oilpassage .extending ifrom 'siiidwell to the joumabijace ofithe insert.

tofore been employed in the manufacti re oif l5,- -.-;A-crown ioumal bearing h vi g a backing meme-i of relatively. hardmetal, a longitudinai siot'in .thejo'lii'nal faceat eaohside of the crest of said hacking member, a hearing metal'gin'sert fitting'eaeh'siotfand projectingjherefrom someing member can bemade of; steel which is 210L120, what beyond the journalface," aBabbit-t metal only 'l'ess expensive butalsdfar stronger than brass and' much le's's'subject to damage from overheating, In this connection; it should also be realized that my improvements make it possible to provide a bearing constriictiori of greatly increased strength while, at 'the same time, in no way sacrificing the advantages which are to be passage in each insert extending'fro'm 1 to the journal face of thei'nsert.

lining covering thejournaiface oi; the packin member; said lining projecting beyond. the plane of the journal faces of said inserts, an oil storage well in the upper face of eachinsert', and an} oil am; 1. 1

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